Help Wanted: Think like insider to get hired

Many employers create jobs with a candidate already in mind, a jobs expert said; but to make the process seem fair, the company will advertise the opening and interview people anyway. Photo Credit: iStock

DEAR CARRIE: I have sent resumes to various companies that advertised job openings either in a publication or online. I felt I was qualified for the positions, but didn't receive even a courtesy interview. Is it common practice for prospective employers to post openings they plan to fill internally, but advertise anyway because some labor law forces them to do so? Someone I know who works in human resources said companies routinely advertise jobs they plan to fill with people already on staff. They do it to have a fallback option in case the chosen employee doesn't want the job. It seems almost unfair or illegal to present a job opportunity where no fair competition exists. -- Phantom Jobs

DEAR PHANTOM: To answer your question I turned to Kate Wendleton, president of The Five O'Clock Club, a Manhattan-based career-management and outplacement firm.

Relying on ads is probably one of the least-effective ways to find a job, for the reason you cited. Most jobs are created with a person in mind, Wendleton said. But to make the selection process seem fair or as a matter of company policy, employers might post an opening and even interview a few outsiders, while they have someone already in mind for the job.

"This is not illegal," said Wendleton, the author of numerous career books, including one she co-wrote, entitled "WorkSmarts: Be a Winner on the Job" (Five O'Clock Books, 2012).

Relying on ads is also an ineffective strategy because just three percent of all jobs are filled through ads, Wendleton said, and in this challenging job market, a lot of people are vying for those few jobs.

"Don't be surprised if you answer 30, 50, 100 or more ads and get no meetings," she said. "Many job hunters sit at their computers for hours on end, hitting that 'send' button and wondering why no one is responding to them. Everyone else is doing the same thing."

"It's a rare job hunter who even includes a cover letter in response to an Internet ad," Wendleton said. "Yet the cover letter is the piece that can most significantly increase the chances you'll be called in."

Here's the Five O'Clock Club's formula for a successful cover letter:

Paragraph one: Mention the position for which you are applying, as well as where you saw the ad and the date it appeared, Wendleton says.

Paragraph two: Provide a summary of your qualifications, such as, "I have 10 years of international marketing experience in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries," she says.

Paragraph three: Use the group's two-column approach when mailing or emailing in your response. The first column is labeled, "You are looking for .?.?." or "Your requirements .?.?. ," under which you list everything they've mentioned in the ad. In column two, you show how you satisfy those requirements. "I have this to offer" or "My experience .?.?." You match up what you have to offer to what they're looking for.